Prescribed burning to resume on Smokey Bear Ranger District this week

RUIDOSO--Fire officials said the Smokey Bear Ranger District plan to resume prescribed burning activities on projects around Ruidoso during the first week of January.

Fire officials said the burning operations will take place throughout the month of January, as weather conditions allow.

Prescribed fire updates will be posted online at http://nmfireinfo.com/.

Officials said firefighters will continue to eliminate slash piles within the project areas by use of prescribed fire.

Ignitions are dependent upon weather conditions on the day of the burn. When current weather is not favorable for burning, operations are canceled or halted. Firefighters monitor smoke emissions and burning operations so that the smoke impacts are minimal.

"These projects will help continue to reduce fuel loads and lessen wildfire risks," District Fuels Specialist on the Smokey Bear Ranger District Dan Ray said. "We treated 30 acres on the Perk Grindstone project in December and we'll be focused on the Stansell and Blue Lake projects next week."

The projects include:

Eagle 1: 2.4 acre unit, located five miles north, northwest of Ruidoso, off of NM State Highway 532 (Ski Run Road).

Stansell: 39 acre unit, located on the south side of NM State Highway 70, (east of Ruidoso Downs between Agua Fria subdivision and Sierra Contracting).

Fire officials said during ignition operations, smoke may be visible from Ruidoso, Alto and surrounding areas.

Officials said Smoke may settle into drainages and lower elevations at night, but is expected to dissipate by late-morning, as daytime temperatures increase.

Officials said in the event that smoke is encountered on travel ways, motorists are advised to reduce travel speeds and turn lights on.

These projects have been identified in the Greater Ruidoso and Lincoln County Community Wildfire Protection Plans.

The CWPP's are available online at: http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/FD/FireMgt/cwpps.htm.

For more information about prescribed fire projects on the Smokey Bear Ranger District, contact the District Office at 575-257-4095, Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. or Public Affairs Officer, Loretta Benavidez, at 575-430-5546 or e-mail Benavidez at llbenavidez@fs.fed.us. For information about the Lincoln National Forest, go online at www.fs.usda.gov/lincoln or follow LNF on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LincolnUSForest.